Latch for panels



Jan. 8, 1935. oja Puus I LATCH FOR PANELS Filed Jan. 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IQIH INVENTOR Patented Jan. 8, 1935 emamas LATCH FOR PANELS Oscar B. Pulls, Beaver Falls, Pa.

, Application a al-y 23,1934, Serial No. 707,913

7Claims. (dies-131) This invention consists in a latch for securing ftwo slotted .plates inface torface contact, and ffinds practical application in Securing together the panels of which the'forms used in concrete "building are made up. In that particular application it will be described. I

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a view in outer elevation of 'a portion of sucha form for concrete building. The form is made upof a 'plur'alityof panels, and the panels are united by the latch of this invention. Figs Ia andflIb, associated with Fig.1, are views of the structure in plan from above and 'in end elevation. Fig. II is a view to larger scale, showing thelatch in front v 5 elevation with its-parts in such relative positions as'they-occupy when the latch is effective. The ','position of 'thepanel that carries the latch is in- 'dicated in dotted lines. Fig III is a fragmentary ,view in vertical section through the flanges of 'two assembled .panels and showing in side elevation the latch ineffective position. Fig. IV is a fragmentary view in elevation of the-panel assembly and showing in. front elevation the latch in releaseposition. Fig. V is a view, otherwise corresponding to Fig. III, but showing the latch 1n release position.

The panels of which a form for concrete work I is composed consist of flanged plates of steel; and the requisites'of a successful latchare 1) that it secure the panels in accurate alignment, 'with their faces extending in a common, plane; (2) that it be easy of operation; (3) that it be simple in structure; (4) that it be durable; and (5) that it be inexpensive. These requisites the latch of this invention possesses. Referring, first, to Fig I, ,the form is seen to he composed of aplurality of panels I. Four of these panels here are .shown. Though unequal in size (two of the four-are of double the length' of the other two) i all are rectangular. Each consists of a plate with marginal flanges 2; and, as here shown, the panel structure is built by welding rolled angles along the edges of the separately rolled plates. Additionally, the panels may be reenforced with intermediately spaced angles 3 welded upon the plates. ,In the assembly the marginal flanges 2 of adjacentpanels are brought to face-to-face abutment; .QThe latch of the invention engages the abutting flanges. The.

flanges 2 are slotted, as at 4;. and the slots are carefully proportioned and accurately positioned. In the assembly the slots of the abutting flanges come to, registry with one another. Ordinarily each flange of each panel willlbe provided with two of the slots 4; or, if the panel be a long one, the flanges of its longer sides may be provided with a larger number of such slots. In the case illustrated in Fig. I, in which the larger panels are in length multiples of the smaller, the number of slots in the long flanges of the larger panels is ',""'Turning to Figs. Il-V, each double that of thesmaller panels, but the spacing of the succession of slots is uniform through- 'out,this with the manifest purpose of permitting assembly of large and smallipanels a variety of ways, as circumstances of ,use maygrem quire. Adjacent alternate slots each panel carries a plurality of latches 5.. I

latch will be "seen to consist essentiallyof a hook, to whichin'these figures the numeral 5 is immediately applied. .The n hook is mountedupon the panel, and conveniently upon that web of the marginal angle that ,is welded to the plate; and its mounting is suchfthat it has two ranges of movement,-'0ne pivotalwith respect to its supportand' the other in.riglit-line g31:5 direction. With this' 'line of .direction, as presently will morefully appear, the plane of the inner face of the hook is coincident. Suchpluralityof movements is effectedby pivotal ,connectionfbetween the supporting panel and'the supported m hook, the connection including an elongate pivot hole.v Conveniently, the elongate pivot hole"is formed, as shown in the drawings at'f5'l, in the 'bodyof the hook itself. The shankjof the pivot pin 6 extends through this elongate'pivotgggs hole and into the substance of the panel itself,

and the assembly is such "that the'hook can; be

v one end of its range of right-line movement, fit

may be swung pivotally to land from a position 35 of. transverse extension through the aligned's'lots l, ,4; and that-when it has been swung pivotally" to such position through the slots, it may by right-line shift in a direction coincident with the extent of the slotted plates bebroughtto'latching ago position upon the two panels atone end ofgthe l aligned slots. This latching'positionof the hook is the position shown inFigl III".

The hook advantageouslypossessescertainchar- ,ac teristics of shape. Itisnotched and, by virtues of suchnotching, is of hook shape. 'The inner face 520i the notch is plane, and'whenthe-hook is in latchingposition this face extends in a plane substantially. coincident with the adjacent face of flange 2 The opposite outer face '53- of metro notch flares outwardly. The 'bottombe'of the notch extends in a plane perpendicular "tothe plane of the inner face 52, "jand"it'fis of a'width corresponding to the thickness "of the twoas 1 sembled flanges'z, 2.." The flare of the outer 'faceil'55 53" reduced. at the bottom" of the*notch,"jso

that at that point the'oppo'site faces'"52 'and53 are substantially parallel. These features of 'mi nute shape are such as to facilitate latching and unlatching, and at the same time such that as 60 in latching position (Fig. III), this surface is the hook comes to latching position it draws the flanges firmly and holds them snugly together.

Cooperating with the hook is a wedge 7, of such shape and size that, when the hook has come to the latching position of Fig. III, it maybe advanced'in a position of transverse extension within the aligned slots 4, 4, and, engaging by its op'- posite and relatively inclined edges the hook on one side and the opposite end of the aligned slots on the other, it becomes a lock, to hold the hook from unlatching.

To serve such purposes the wedge and the associated parts are most carefully shaped. It will be observed of the wedge-engaging surface 55 of the notch of the hook that, when the hook oblique in its extent; and that, accordingly, the

outer edge 71 of the wedge 7 extends'in a plane that is coincident with the plane in which the edges of the slots 4, 4 are disposed. Thus the wedge is of maximum effect, the alignmentof thev panels perfected, and the structure carefully I adapted to endure with eflect throughout long periods of service.

"Conveniently the wedgev is carried in a slideway or casing 56 formed integrally with the body of the hook, and in that casing it may be made cap- The rear end of the wedge is bent aside The inner face of the hook at its edges maybe 7 rounded, as indicated at58, to facilitatepivota 22401: I ,against'which concrete may be shaped, and this ffacing is brought accurately to position, supswinging. p I The assembled panels constitute a facing I ;ported.and braced by such means as the art knows.

,"The. invention, manifestly, is of general ap 1 .plicability in the securing of plates in face-toface'positions. Additionally, if the parts be considered in the positions shown in Fig. V, it will be perceived that, by virtue of this, its more steeply [tapered forward end, the wedge 7 may serve, as I the instrumentality for swinging the hook 5 to latched position. To accomplish this, it is necesmy only to drive the Wedge forward. Engagefment ofsurface '72 upon'the. end of the slot 4 will effect this swing. V

a f I claim as myinvention:

1. A latch for securing two plates with slotted,

, bent-aside flanges in flange-to-fiange contact,

9,11 ,011 one of the two plates and by suchpivotal the latch consisting of a hook pivotally-mounted I mountin'g adapted to swing to and from a position of transverseextensionthrough' the aligned slots of the two flanges, the, said hook, in addition' to such pivotal movability, being movable in its mounting inright-line direction and in a difrectionooincident with the extent of such plates, whe'reby, when swung to such position of transverse extension through the aligned slots of the Qtwo flanges, it may be advanced and retracted to and froma position of latchingengagement with the two flanges at one end of the aligned slots, to-

gether with means for securing the hook in its advanced and locking position. i

2. A latch for securing two slotted plates in face-to-face contact, the latch consisting of a hook pivotally mounted upon one of the two plates andby such pivotal'moun'ting adapted to swing to and from a position of transverse extension through the aligned slots of the two plates, the said hook, in addition to such pivotal movability, being movable in its mounting in rightline direction, whereby, when swung to such 'po-- sition of transverse extension through the aligned slots of the two plates, it may be advanced andretracted'to and from a position of latching engagement with the twoplates atone end-of the aligned slots, and a wedge adapted to be advanced.

in transverse extension throughthe so aligned slots of the two plates and, engaging simultaneously the seated hook and the opposite ends .Of the aligned slots,'to secure the hook in itsadvanced and latching position.

3. A latch for securing 'twof plates. with slotted, bent-aside flanges in flangeg-to-fiange 7 contacts, the latch consisting of a hook pivotally mounted through a slotted pivot holeupon'one of the two plates and by such mounting adapted to swing to and from a position of transverse extension through the aligned slotsof the two flanges and adapted further (when in such.po'si-- tion of transverse extension) to be advanced-and" retracted in a direction coincident with the extent of such plates to and from latching engagement with the two flanges at oneend of the aligned slots, together with means for securing the hook in. its advanced and locking position.

4. A latch for securing two slotted plates in face-to-face contact, the latch consisting of a notched hook pivotally mounted upon one ,of the two plates and by such pivotal mounting adapted to swing to and from a position of'transverse extension through the aligned slots of the two plates, the said hook, in addition to such pivotal movability, being movable in its mounting in right-line direction, whereby, when swung to such I position of transverse extension; through the aligned slots of the two plates, it. may beadvanced and retracted to and from a position of latching engagement with the two plates at one end of the aligned slots, the outer. faceof the notch of the hook flaring outwardly with respect to the inner, and the inner face of the notch '01 the hook being plane-surfaced and (when the hook is pivotally swung to its position of transverse extension through thealigned. slots) extending. in

substantially coincident plane with the adjacent plate surface.

5. The structure of claim 2, the wedge being "carried in a slidewayformed integrallywithjthe hook.

6. The structure of claim 2, the wedge being carried in a slideway formed integrally with' the hook and being connected by pin-,and-slot ,connection with such slideway.

'7. The structure of. claim 2, the wedge-engaging I surface of the hook extending, when the hook is inlocking position, in a plane oblique to thehorizontal, whereby the advancing. .wedge makes simultaneous engagement in horizontal plane with the edges of the slots of the two plates. 

